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Monday, January 10, 2011

Homemade Deodorant

I know. Some of you may be in shock. I was, too, the first time I heard of this two years ago. So much so, that I didn't give it a try... until now. But you really can make your own deodorant that works!

My friends, Mona at Healthy Homesteading and Cindy at Farmgirl Cyn, both posted this recipe and thereby encouraged me to give it a try. So far, it's doing the job, but I suspect summer will be the real test.

Have you considered that your body was designed to perspire? Please rethink using an antiperspirant (which almost always contains aluminum) on a regular basis if you're still doing so. It's one thing to use it for "special occasions"; it's another to use it every single day. When God designed our bodies to perspire, it was for a good reason, one of which was to eliminate toxins! And I believe that the more chemicals and junk you eliminate going into your body, the less of that stuff that needs to find a way to escape and then cause smelly underarms (that's a plug for a "clean" and healthy diet). So deodorant alone hasn't been my only attack on unpleasant odors.

Back to the homemade version... some of the reasons I've decided to try my own recipe include the cost, not being able to control what's in it, effectiveness, and availability. According to Mona's calculations, it cost her only $1 or two, with the coconut oil being the most expensive ingredient. So if you could hit a sale on that, you're really keeping the cost down. And since the ingredients are only things used in baking, it's so clean, I could eat it... but I don't think I'll try. The natural commercial stuff I was using worked okay, but not stellar. Hopefully this will out perform the store bought variety. And finally, this deodorant is made from items I keep on hand all the time. I don't have to wait for my coop delivery or a trip to town, nor do I have to count on it being in stock.

Combine the baking soda and cornstarch, then work in the coconut oil. I used my mixer to incorporate the two until well combined.

If desired, add tea tree oil (anywhere from 5 - 20 drops) which has natural antibacterial qualities. I tried adding some lavender essential oil, but the coconut oil seemed to overpower the scent a bit. Just think of this deodorant as having a tropical scent and leave it at that.

You can adjust the amount of coconut oil if necessary. I liked mine a bit dryer, but if you want, increase the oil up to 8 T. Also, if your room is warm, the oil might liquify at around 76 degrees, so move it to the refrigerator if necessary or a cooler room. I popped mine in the fridge so that it would firm up a bit after using the mixer.

To use: Rub a small amount on underarms.

I'm finding that less is best when it comes to this recipe; you can always increase it if necessary. And so far, I haven't found that it's been an issue staining my clothes either.

I know some of you have been using this or a similar recipe for a long time. Please, include your comments and add to the conversation!